World Planning Schools Congress 2011: Planning in an era of uncertainty and transformation

Editor

Associate Professor Paul Magin

Year Published

2011

Place of publication

Perth, Western Australia

Publisher

World Planning Schools Congress

Abstract

A surge of investment in Europe, North America and Australasia on
children’s and school travel planning has highlighted problems of the built, social
and policy environment as barriers to children’s active transport and independent
mobility. Many aspects of the built environment can influence children’s active
transport, physical activity and health, including excessive trip distances, footpath
provision, traffic volumes and speeds and road crossings. Research on the built
environment often uses measures of neighbourhood ‘walkability’ that draw on these
barriers/enablers, to allow planners and other actors to understand differences in the
potential of built environments to support active transport. However, these measures
and indices are usually derived from studies of adult, not child, travel behaviour. This
paper summarises recent attempts to develop environmental measures and indices
based on children’s travel behaviour. It highlights their advances and limitations, and
identifies possible ways forward. A new set of measures is outlined, drawn from the
literature, which build upon and improve recent practice. Geographic information
systems (GIS) are used to transform these measures into a composite walkability
index for neighbourhood environments that more accurately reflect children’s active
travel potential. The method is applied to a school neighbourhood in Brisbane to
demonstrate the approach. Refinements and practical applications for the method are
advanced. A comparative study currently using the method to help explore built
environment influences on children’s independent mobility is noted. The method
provides the potential for more nuanced and targeted research into children’s travel
and school travel planning, and for improved transport and land use planning
interventions targeting travel behaviour change and children’s health.

Copyright 2011 ANZAPS. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the conference's website for access to the definitive, published version.